More negative space

    My post on negative space may have puzzled  a few of you.  It is just a design concept or principle that effects our designs whether we realize it or not.  Just realize that the negative space can enhance our quilts.  It can provide a place for the eye to rest, especially in a busy design.  This photo is part of  the upper corner  of a current small piece--fused only and not sewn.   It  shows the use of dark negative space  around the rose.  Then at the bottom you can see how the light background of the fabrics there becomes the negative space around the sprigs of flower stems.


   This photo of one of the small iris varieties that is blooming right now, and it  has a lot of dark negative space, which is full of different values---lighter and darker areas.  My eye first sees the white and yellow iris against a dark area.  Next my eye sees the next value of the lighter green.  I love how the tiny vine is winding around the bloom.  And finally the eye rests in the darker shadows.  Apply that to the next quilt you create.  What do you want to stand out and where do you want the eye to rest?  Your color and value placement in the blocks will influence the over all design and finished look.

OK, enough of that.  Chores are done and I am off to work on  this month's free motion quilting challenge.   Thanks for bearing with me.
Happy stitching.

Wildlife habitat is my inspiration

   I had a question a couple of weeks ago about the sign in the photo on my banner  that says  "Certified Wildlife Habitat."   A few years ago there was a big campaign among the gardeners around here to promote natural habitats for wildlife, and since we live within a stone's throw of the recently developed Conestee  Park Preserve, we decided to jump on the bandwagon.  All the required information is available at the National Wildlife Federation .  We just had to draw a site map showing the types of plants, trees, and such that provide a natural habitat for native wildlife.

  We have added about 15 trees, including dogwoods, several maples, 3 varieties of oaks, curly willows, and of course a magnolia.     The one shady area between the shop and garden shed began with  little more than a cobblestone walk and a few hostas.  The sunny side  is filled with herbs,daisies, lilies, and ground covers of all types and features a bird house and bird bath.  Behind the trees in the back, is  the area I call the deer run.....because we see the deer back there all the time.  They often venture up to the beds and nibble the top of the young hostas and the fleshy leaves of the Asiatic  lilies.  I now "plant" any cast off extra plants along the run just so the deer can have a bite to eat.
  We see rabbits around a lot.  I am more careful about planting annuals.....they will pull them right out of the ground....and I tend to stick with a lot of perennials that self sow even if the rabbits get into them.   I planted several varieties of coneflowers....the gold finches love them as well as the honey bees.  In the fall the gold finches will sit on top of the cone and peck out the seeds.  That's why I now have lots of volunteer plants.

   About 2 years ago, we added a pondless waterfall in the back also.  It provides a good water source for a lot of the wildlife.  One hot summer days I often see the birds perched on one of the stones for a drink or bathing in the shallow area.  We have the resident frogs now....and a few garden snakes, which I try to avoid.  Even so, they are part of nature's balance.
   So, exactly how does all this relate to quilting?  I use the inspiration from our garden views in many of my  quilts.  Color combinations come from the flowers,  and textures from patterns I find in the wood and stone outside.   Check  the banner above you will see the "cobblestones"---thanks to Wanda at Exuberantcolor , the waterfalls in the bargello, and the lilies shown in applique.  I featured the garden shed in a watercolor wall hanging, and did  birds in thread painting for quilts, and Evening Serenade featured the falls and the frog.  The blooming 9 patch throw was inspired by the colors of the coneflowers and the stones around the waterfall.  I discover a  garden inspiration in almost every quilt I make.
  Our wildlife habitat fills nature's need and gives me inspiration.  I just look out the window, or walk outside.  It's an endless source to fuel my imagination.   I continually see something I want /need to capture and hold on to.  Where do you look for your inspiration source?   Look around you....it is there.
Happy stitching.
  

Using negative space

    I mean we all need or want more space.  But exactly....What is negative space?   Think in-between space.  The space that fills in and around applique for instance.  The applique would be the positive space and the background would be the negative space.   We need both positive and negative space.  And as a quilter, negative space could be filled with quilting,  or it could be the sashing between the blocks.  Or it could be a  space that unifies and makes the color jump out.

  These 2 doll quilts--I told you I was inspired by them--are great examples of negative space of white.  The ticker tape quilt, from a Mrs. Claus at HGTV Message Board for South Carolina, has a lots of negative white space in the background and in the ticker tape bits of fabric she selected.  It works so wonderfully because the eye is fooled and sees the bright colors instead of  only seeing the bits of fabric sewn down.
Note:  Ticker tape quilt is done raw-edge applique style.  The background is one piece.  The top is layered with the batting and backing.  Then the selected fabrics are arranged and stitched down with a straight stitch or a zig-zag stitch through all three layers.
  And the  little bow tie quilt ...wow.  What a great idea to do bow ties in pinks.  Mrs. Claus in Iowa created a precious quilt that lets the bow ties take center stage on the white background of negative space.
 

 So where would I find negative space in a watercolor quilt?   I mean the entire project is filled with fabric that is loaded with color and prints with lots of values.  There is no negative space........or is there?
   I was sorting through my cut squares  and realized that I had a lot of dark squares with negative space.  Why?  They tend to be harder to place in a watercolor quilt when you are trying to blend square to square.  I needed to figure out how to reduce their presence in my stash.



 This is in the beginning stage.  I decided to use the squares with all the black negative space  to create a dark--very dark--area at the base of this banner.  And since black to black is boring, I am trying to cluster like color edge to like color edge and create very large blooms here.

This close up photo shows what I mean better than the words.  Once this is sewn and finished the large flowers should pop out against the negative space of the black.

   Fabric selection is probably the hardest part of beginning a watercolor quilt.  You need fabrics with different values and different scale prints.  Here are 2 examples of fabric with negative space of black that I have used in this project.
  So what I have just said and shown about the black negative space is also true for the fabrics with the light or white negative space.   But that will have to wait until I reach that point in this project.

Report on the star struck variation:  I cleaned off a mini-bolt of fabric--yea, stash reduction--- for the sashings and binding.  The top is together and ready to be batted and quilted.   Just in time too.  I heard today that Amanda got a very nice job promotion this week.  This quilt was promised to her and Barry--OK,  to Barry really because he begged---for their next "life event".   I think the promotion qualifies and I think  the quilt  will be called "Life's Events".
Have a very special and blessed Easter weekend.  Happy stitching.  

Box arrived

A box arrived and it was filled with little dolls quilts from the HGTV Message Board gals.  Such treasures!
And there are so many creative ideas to be found in these little quilts made for the Get Your Mrs. Claus On project.  I want to share just a few of them.
   Karibbean Quilter made this cute little strip quilt---very simple and great color choices----and added a single butterfly applique in the corner.  So special and a great idea for later use.

Pinwheels and cows!  This is such a happy little quilt.  Now I know what to do with all the extra pinwheels I have from my last scrap quilt project! The cow fabric makes this one so much fun.  It is from the great state of Nebraska.

From New Mexico.....embroidered blocks of sun bonnet Sue and 9 patch blocks.  These blocks are machine embroidered in a beautiful blue.   A really cute combination.  This Mrs. Claus  used a decorative stitch for the quilting in the border.  Great idea!

  Did I say 9 patch and quilting?  This cheerful yellow 9 patch is hand quilted!  It is so beautiful.  It is from Mrs. Claus from Wyoming.  A little girl is going to love and treasure this one.








 

And the labels.....all labeled with the state that it represents.  Hand written, embroidered, computer printed, printed on ribbon, appliqued, sewn in.....great ideas in this variety of small  quilt labels.




There are a lot more ideas to uncover here.....so I will be sharing those along the way as I get extra  photos taken.  Thank you ladies for your caring sharing hearts and hands and all the creative inspiration you bring to the world of quilting.  Happy stitching.

Who's done the bag?

  I had lots of requests for the "trashcan bag".....don't you love that tag line?   My delight is to promote and feature a couple of gals who made quick work of this project.  Dim the lights.  Here are the results.
  This is Miriam's bag out of batiks, and her finishing touch of a large fold over closure and beautiful button.  Look close and you can see that she just sewed the short lengths together in places to get a long enough strip.  It looks so good, you would think she planned it that way!  Super neat bag, Miriam....I'm proud of you.

  And this is Mary's version....same pattern, again using batiks, but such a difference the fabric choice makes.  This is so beautiful and just feels like spring time.  Mary comments that  "Everyone who sees my bag just loves it!"  
  I told her to beware that someone might try to buy or beg it from her.
  But wait............there's more from her.

  Mary went to her stash of leftover floral strips from a watercolor project and put together another one!  There are some great floral fabrics here, and it turned out so pretty.   The colors are so vibrant and look like a flower show.   Super job, and thank you so much for letting me show your bag photos.  And thank you both for completing the project.....it makes the effort so worthwhile to see such wonderful finishes.
   Sir Old Man came down with the bad virus today....I have to go pick up his medicine.  No sewing today, just a little design time on a watercolor.  I get a lot of requests to do another watercolor.....aren't you tired of seeing them?  I do sometimes feel like a broken record as I talk about value and color  all the time.  
So have to check on the patient.  Happy stitching.  

Interruption in plans

    I worked hard yesterday afternoon to be caught up on laundry and stuff so I could sew all day.  NOT... without power I don't!    Early this morning the work crew clearing a lot down the street from us pulled out a dead tree and it flipped over into the power lines.  Ugh!  Do those guys know how annoying this interruption is? So instead I pulled out books, looked for inspiration, sorted fabrics for a water color, cooked burgers on the grill for lunch, and read a bit.
   Sweet relief...... 6 hours later and the power has returned.  This put me in the state of mind of how dependent I am on electricity---do I need a treadle machine?--- and take it so much for granted.   How much else do I take for granted?

Insight:  I like to think of myself as a giver, but selfish pride does lurk within me.  A great idea grows when you share it.  A great person is made greater though their giving.  


  I cranked up the computer---luckily  Sir Old Man has a good backup power supply for me, so no damage or problem---and read Leah's post today   about her ideas on copyright.   She kicked me a bit, but I agreed with what she said.  Read it if you dare.
  So my point to all this rambling is about the tutorial on the batting scrap bag I made last month.  I created a 2 part pdf for this bag for a class  at Learningfa yahoo group.  The class went out this weekend and has been completed by at least one, so I know it was detailed enough.  If you are a follower---I am not sending it to the world--- and would like the bag PDF, email me......not  just a comment....see the side bar contact.  I will send you the 2 part class, which includes lots of photos and instructions for sizing and completing this tote.  Once the basic is done you can add your own details--ideas included but not directions--- of extra pockets or zipper closure if you want.
  What do I want back?  Photos of your bag that I can post and share.
 Happy stitching! 

March ending

  March came in like a lamb and went  out with a roar......of hail storms last night.  Not just once, or twice, but three times the rain and hail came.  It cleared the air  at least, and no damage that we can see.
  We had a wonderful celebration day with our April Fool birthday girl and son in law.  We hit the book store, yarn shop, and lunch at the Brick Street Cafe, where the waiter crooned "Happy Birthday" to Deana.  She hated it but endured anyway.  

  Here's the rest of the kitchen towels and snack mats, and mug rugs I trimmed out for her.  Yep, she thought they were  perfect for her kitchen.  
This project turned out so cute that I'm thinking I need a few new towels myself.
  I am working on the pinwheels for the border of the scrap quilt.....finally!   For some reason I have gotten bored with this one and I am ready to be done with it.  So I don't think I will start a second one as planned.
   At this stage of life and such, I want to invest my time, effort and ability in projects that really spark me.  That means either they are quick and easy, or really have the design element I like.  Will have to see what calls out to me next.  So....happy birthday to our girl, happy April Fool's Day, and happy stitching.